The ability of employees to move between firms of their own volition is a defining characteristic that distinguishes human capital from other resources. This review bridges previously isolated research communities by synthesizing knowledge on “employee mobility barriers”—mechanisms that restrict employee movement and help firms maintain human capital-based competitive advantages. We introduce a typology of ten categories of employee mobility barriers, differentiated by level of analysis (individual, organizational, societal) and degree of firm control, to organize the disparate literature on this topic. Building on this foundation, we propose an architecture of strategic modes that characterizes firm responses to employee mobility barriers based on the level of firm control (high vs. low) and the level at which barriers operate (individual vs. organizational). This framework offers a theoretical lens for understanding how firms navigate these barriers through proactive and reactive strategies, highlighting implications for decision-making, centralization, and delegation. Our review examines the dual nature of employee mobility as both an opportunity and a challenge for firms and individuals, with implications across three primary domains: individual careers, human capital/human resource management (HC/HRM), and strategic management. We propose a portfolio perspective for future research to explore whether different mobility barriers act as complements or substitutes. Additionally, we consider the relational benefits of employee mobility and suggest directions for further inquiry. By integrating our typology and the architecture of strategic modes, this review advances theoretical and practical understanding of employee mobility barriers, reflecting recent developments and setting the stage for future research.

中文翻译：

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员工流动性障碍：职业、人力资源和战略管理研究的综合审查


员工自愿在公司之间流动的能力是人力资本与其他资源区分开来的决定性特征。本综述通过综合有关“员工流动障碍”的知识，弥合了以前孤立的研究界，“员工流动障碍”是限制员工流动并帮助公司保持基于人力资本的竞争优势的机制。我们介绍了十类员工流动障碍的类型学，按分析水平（个人、组织、社会）和企业控制程度进行区分，以组织有关该主题的不同文献。在此基础上，我们提出了一种战略模式架构，该架构根据公司控制水平（高与低）和障碍运作水平（个人与组织）来描述公司对员工流动障碍的反应。该框架为理解公司如何通过主动和被动策略来克服这些障碍提供了一个理论视角，突出了对决策、集中化和授权的影响。我们的综述研究了员工流动的双重性质，对公司和个人来说既是机遇又是挑战，其影响涉及三个主要领域：个人职业、人力资本/人力资源管理 （HC/HRM） 和战略管理。我们为未来的研究提出了一个投资组合视角，以探索不同的移动障碍是作为补充还是替代。此外，我们还考虑了员工流动的关系优势，并提出了进一步调查的方向。 通过整合我们的类型学和战略模式架构，本综述促进了对员工流动障碍的理论和实践理解，反映了最近的发展并为未来的研究奠定了基础。